Can-opener.



L. A. BELLIS L W. A. BLEECKER.

CAN OPENER.

MPL10/111011 FI'LED 11111112.1916.

Patented May 29', 1917.

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LEWIS A. BELLIS AND WALTER A. BLEECKER, OF SOMERVILLE, NEW JERSEY.

CAN-OPENER.

Application filed May 12, 1916.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that we, Lnwis A. BELLis and VJALTER A. BLEEGKER, citizens of the United States, residing at Somerville, in the county of Somerset and Sta-te of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Can-Openers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to improvements in can openers.

The object of the invention is to provide a can opener of the curved blade type with a side guide positioned well in advance of the cutting and bending blade, so that the metal can cover can be cut and the raw metallic edge portion bent into Contact with the walls, which has heretofore been impossible.

The invention more specifically embraces the use of a guiding member projecting downwardly from the forward end of the instrument at right angles to the handle and spaced from the forward edge of the cutting blade where the cutting of the top takes place, so that the wall of the can is engaged by the side guide and firmly held to prevent the same from bulging at this point when the blade is severing the top portion rendering the support for the instrument substantially rigid and tending to hold the cutting blade in a position very close to the wall of the can.

V ith these and other objects in View which will readily appear as the. nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists of the improved construction, novel arrangement, and combination of parts as will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of the device;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view; and

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating the device as a cap extractor.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein corresponding reference numerals indicate like parts, the letter A designates the handle of the instrument composed ofI iat metallic strips 1 and 2, spaced apart at one end by a suitable spacing block of any desired construction. Any conventional form of supporting means may be utilized for supporting the implement when not in use, but no specific support has been illustrated in the drawings. The opposite ends of the parallel strips l and 2 converge Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 29, 1917.

Serial No. 97,131.

and receive therebetween the cutting blade 3 of a construction that will be presently described. The strips l and 2 at the blade receiving end `gradually curve with respect to the plane occupied by the maj or portion of the handle so as to offset the hand gripping portion of the handle with reference to the end carrying the cutting blade. The strip l terminates at a point where the cutting blade is attached to the handle while the strip 2 has an extension i proj ecting beyond the juncture of the cutting blade with the handle A, and at a point near the outer edge of the cutting blade 3 the extension is twisted so that its relatively wide edge portion 5 occupies a downwardly disposed horizontal position. The extension 4 projects at an angle to the plane of the hand gripping portion of the top, and this extension is preferably intregal with the strip 2, although it is apparent that the saine could be independent of the strip 2 and attached thereto in any suitable manner.

Depending from one side ofthe down wardly disposed edge 5 of the extension is a vertical side guide 6 spaced from the outer' end of the blade 3 and extending above and below this blade, as well as in advance of the same. The inner surface of the guide 6 is preferably slightly inclined and engages the wall of the can during the operation of the implement to hold the cutting blade 3 near the edge of the can and also prevent the wall of the can from bulging when the top is being cut. By giving the handle a slight side thrust in an outward direction the blade is drawn toward the wall of the can and this wall is of course firmly held by the side guide 6. The horizontally disposed edge portion 5 of the extension 4L has an edge receiving recess 7 therein adapted to span the beaded edge of the can and the base of this recess forms a bearing for the implement during the rocking thereof and engages the edge of the can in advance of the severed top portion. The blade 3 is secured in position by a cross pin 9 or any other convenient means, and its cutting edge 10 is disposed substantially parallel with the extension A of the strip 2, this cutting blade being sharpened upon its upper and lower sides and gradually increasing in width toward its center. The blade is curved longitudinally and in operation the inner side thereof at a point near its center engagesA the raw edges projecting from the wall of the can and upon an up stroke of the implement forces these edges into contact with the walls of the receptacle to permit the contents of the can to be readily removed in an unbroken condition. This action is facilitated by the side guide 6 arranged in advance of the cutter, which at all times prevents the wall of the can from being bent inwardly and serves upon an outward thrust of the handle to draw the cutting blade toward the wall to fold the raw projecting edges. It will be observed that during the cutting action the guide 6 is bearing against the wall of the can adjacent the point where the top is being severed and this tends to increase the rigidity of the fulcrum point of the implement. The blade 3 has an upwardly extending slightly curved shank portion 9 terminating in a hooked end 10'CL forming with a socket l1 in the upper edge of the extension 4L a cap extractor the operation of which is clearly disclosed 1n Fig. 3, it being observed that the hooked end l() of the blade engages the lower side of the cap while the upper end of the cap is seated within the socket in the extension 4 permitting the cap to be withdrawn upon an up stroke of the handle.

In using the implement, the pointed end of the cutter 3 is forced through the top of the can near its border and the device is then pushed forwardly until the base of the bearing recess 7 rests upon the edge of the wall of the can, the edge of the can forming the fulcrum point of the implement and is engaged by the bearing thereof upon the rocking of the implement well in advance of the cut in the top. When the top is being severed the vertically extending guide 6 projects downwardly along the wall of the can at a point slightly in advance of the end of the cutting blade, so that the wall is prevented from bending when the implement is rocked, and the implement is also held in a position close to the wall of the can by the guide, due to the fact that during the cutting operation the handle of the instrument is given a slight side thrust which tends to draw the cutter toward the wall of the can, and in this way not only severs the top close to the wall, but also folds the raw projecting edge into contact with the wall of the can. The relatively wide horizontally disposed end portion 5 of the extension 4t having the seat 7 therein engages the edge of the can in advance of the cut in the top, and the base of the seat forms a bearing for the implement during the rocking thereof. The implement is at all times moved forwardly, that is Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

away from the Aoperator and the forward movement of the implement is continued until the top has been completely severed.

While we have illust-rated and described the preferred embodiment of our invention we wish it to be understood that many changes in proportion, size, and arrangement of the parts can be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described our invention what we claim is: y f

l. An implement of the character described comprising a handle, a cutting blade carried thereby, an extension projecting from the handle and twisted at its outer end and bent downwardly, forming a corrugae tion in the extension at the angle portion thereof, the downwardly bent portion of the'A extension constituting a bearing for the implement during the rocking thereof and engaging the edge of the can in advance of the cut in the top, substantially as described.

2. An implement of the character described comprising a handle, a cutting blade carried thereby, and disposed beneath the handle, an extension projecting from the handle and twisted at a point substantially in line with the outer edge of the cutting blade and thence bent downwardly whereby its relatively wide edge constitutes a bearing for the implement and engages the wall of the can in advance of the cut therein, the twisting of the extension forming a corrugation in the same at the angle portion, and a side guide extending from the downwardly bent edge of the extension to a point below the cutter, for the purpose described.

3. An implement of the character described comprising a handle, a cutting blade carried thereby and disposed beneath the handle, an extension of the handle projecting to the outer edge of the blade and thence twisted and bent downwardly whereby its edge constitutes a relatively wide bearing for the implement engaging the wall of the can in advance of the top thereof, and a vertical side guide formed as a continuation of the downturned edge of the extension projecting well below the cutting edge of the blade, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we hereunto affix our signatures in the presence of two wit nesses.

LEWIS A. BELLIS. WALTER A. BLEECKER. Witnesses:

WILLIAM TAYLOR, CHRISTOPHER V. CONOVER.

Washington, D. C. 

